You’re already spending a fortune on matzah — no need to empty your wallet on small trinkets to ensure the kids stay up long enough to find the afikoman. Here, moms, grandmothers, and educators share their favorite low-cost and even free ideas for spicing up the seder experience.

Judith Bron, a grandmother and author living in the New York area, recommends buying your favorite children’s Haggadah and then wrapping each page in plastic before the seder, to protect it from spilled grape juice, soup, or soda. “At the end of the meal, mom and dad might see the remainder of a delicious meal, but at least they can wipe it off in time for tomorrow,” she says.

“My favorite [afikoman gift] was the year my daughter was a toddler,” recalls Margaret Frisch Klein, who lives in the Boston area. “She knew that we changed our dishes for Passover, a tradition that was somewhat foreign to her, but a week before Passover, a new set of plastic play dishes showed up so that Sarah could change her play dishes as well.” Play dishes can be purchased at a local 99c store.

In lieu of buying fancy Passover place cards, keep the kids busy before the seder by allowing them to design their own. Download a free template of foldable-matzah placecards at www.scrapsmart.com.

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